The High-Vis Potholes represents an idea developed by Italian students Domenico Diego and Cristina Corradini who designed the "Street SafeInitiative".

The High-Vis Potholes are created by a intensely coloured layer pf asphalt under the road surface that becomes easily spotted and avoided when the road surface brakes up.

The High-Vis Potholes will be trialled later in 2010 in a small Italian town close to Milan, and if the project will prove viable and cost effective then Diego intends to market their idea all across Europe.

Potholes on Britain’s roads could be much easier to spot in future, thanks to a design idea created by students in Italy.

The initiative was uncovered by road maintenance campaign website,Potholes.co.uk, as it continues its efforts to improve the state of theUK’s roads.

Domenico Diego and Cristina Corradini have designed the “Street SafeInitiative,” which comprises a brightly-coloured layer of asphalt a fewinches beneath the surface of the road, which becomes visible when theroad surface breaks up, making potholes easier to see and avoid.

The unique design will be trialled later this year in Rho, a smalltown close to Milan, to determine if the project is viable and costeffective, after which Diego plans to market the product across Europe.

Milan Polytechnic student Diego said: “We have compared the roadsurface to the human skin - when we are wounded, we start to bleed. Soour idea is to put a layer of yellow asphalt beneath the tarmac, whichappears and creates a high chromatic contrast that is visible from adistance.

“This way, the potholes are signalled as they appear and road users have enough time to react safely.”

Duncan McClure Fisher, Managing Director of Potholes.co.uk, said:“This is an innovative way to make potholes more visible to road usersand to help reduce the damage caused to vehicles. We’re all for potholesolutions that protect the motorist from potential car damage orpersonal injury, but the solution is not entirely practical and itdoesn’t tackle the real issue of preventing potholes in the firstplace.”

The trial in Italy will help Diego evaluate the cost implications of his design and its production across Europe.

Mike Conway, Managing Director of highway maintenance andconstruction firm, FM Conway, said: “It’s a novel idea but it’s not theright solution for the UK right now. To make layers of tarmac sticktogether we use a bituminous coating that acts as a glue and you’d haveto go right back to the manufacturing stage and work out how to make itbright yellow.

“We should be looking at how to reduce costs by doing the job rightin the first place, rather than creating expensive solutions that onlyhave an effect once the pothole is already there.”